Have you had any fun lately? I was told Ayurveda (Indian natural medicine) has a philosophy: To be healthy each day should have 8 hours work, 8 hours fun, and 8 hours rest. I LIKE that! Are you getting your 8 hours of fun? I have definitely been lacking. But that is all about to change for me. What can you do to have some fun today?

Here I was looking for a relaxing stones pic. First I tried this view at the lakeshore with nice stones under shallow water. I really like the play of light and water over the base of stones. It’s interesting, natural, and yet, wouldn’t detract from any message I would put on top. The color of text will take some trial and error. Sometimes I will put text right next to an image like this. I think it lets the viewer enjoy the peace and tranquility before processing the text. And in my business… massage therapy… it lets the viewer experience a little bit of what I might offer; a temporary relief from stress.

Next, I tried dry stones on the beach. I really like the variety of sizes, shapes and colors here. I do think the first shot is less interesting, though, in a way due to the water overlay which lends everything some sameness. Here I find I am more drawn in to inspect more closely, something I’m not going for in an advertising shot.

I heard a lot about Joe Pye Weed online. It’s supposed to be a great plant that gets tall (mine is about 5’5″), loves water, and comes back absolutely reliably after even brutal winters. Sounds like my kind of plant!

Then it blooms.

Ok, I’m unimpressed. The blooms are downright ugly. I would say at their peak they look dead. Dead color, dried-up looking, yuck!

Ah, but there is a fabulous reason to grow them: they make a great element in a bee and butterfly haven! My plant is covered with bees every day all day. They love this plant. I’ve also seen heavy butterfly activity. Why does every plant I grow have to be a looker to me? Maybe I grow plants to treat the bees and butterflies. They are confronted by poison chemicals just about everywhere, but I like that they are free to enjoy my garden without worry.

Here we are beginning our hike on the stretch of the Tour du Mont Blanc that is an ancient Roman Road. This climb was strenuous, but the old paving was interesting to think about. I pictured chariots, horses, and Roman soldiers making this arduous trek through the mountains to their conquests. And then I forgot all about that because, as often happens on the TMB, it just kept going up! Don’t kid yourself, the TMB is quite a workout no matter how fast or slow you do it. Every night I was sore, with aching hips and thighs. Self-talk is important, though, so every night I literally told my “boys” (thighs) to heal up because we have another day of hiking tomorrow. And miraculously, they did! I would wake up feeling much better and ready to go.

Another shy and fleeting garden creature. I was trying to get the body too, because it is marked as beautifully as the wings. I’ll keep trying. These girls really hate the camera and almost instantly disappear when I get anywhere near them.

Wickedly difficult to photograph because they are true to their reputation of being busy bees, this guy was so tolerant of me with my lens stuck in his face. Here he paused for a few moments. I was worried he was sizing me up, whether he needed to become defensive or not, but after this brief work stoppage, he got right back at it. I bought local, raw honey today at the farmers’ market which is purported to be a cure for allergies because when you eat it you are dosing yourself with a lot of local pollen. The jury is out on whether this works or is a placebo effect. But hey! I can’t think of a sweeter way to fool myself out of allergy response! In addition to this there are many other health benefits to eating raw, locally produced honey. So why do people keep using poisons on everything from their lawns to their bodies which we know are killing the bees? Think about it and I hope you enjoy this image of the busy bee who stopped for a moment. I love his fur coat, I would like to pet him!

Using the food mill to emulsify the pulp and skins and get most of the liquid out to pick out the seeds.

The lovely result! Cooling here and melting together with a jar of honey added for sweetness.

Method works with most fruits. What to do with the sauce? Think: Oatmeal, over pancakes, frozen in ice cube containers and made into fruit smoothies. Delicious! Many thanks to my pa (the suburban farmer) who shared his plum bounty with me!

You are crazy if you don’t go to farmers’ markets this time of year! Do you know what you can find right now? Well for starters, these gorgeous sunflowers, gladioli and others!

I mean, first, it’s a feast for the eyes. Have you ever seen such beautiful gladioli, just rammed into old buckets like that? I love it!

Then there are the super nice people who sell everything! They love to meet you and hear feedback about their produce.

And here is the answer to my question in the title – a little birdy told me (actually a message on Facebook) that Dominion Valley Farm has fresh chicken again this Saturday at the West Bend Farmers’ Market (7-11a.m. – snooze you lose!) I ate fresh (never frozen, was running around yesterday) pastured chicken for the first time 2 weeks ago and I couldn’t believe it. It was by far the best chicken I have ever eaten in my life! So here is your tip, if you are local, get to the market and check it out! (If not, get to your own!!)